Marine vessels, and in particular fishing vessels and crayfish boats often travel in water that contains rope and long-line fishing line. When the vessel passes over the rope or fishing line it will often become snagged around the spinning blades of the propeller, which, due to the spinning action, causes the rope, fishing line or other debris to become wound around the propeller shaft. As the debris is wound in, it builds up between the propeller and a bearing through which the propeller shaft rotates. Friction caused by the build up of rope can be created to the point where the debris, being made of plastics, can often melt and fill lubricating grooves of the bearing. This can prevent the flow of lubricating fluid through the bearing, which can cause the bearing to seize. Pressure due to the build up of debris pushes the propeller away from the bearing, which can damage the drive train that rotates the propeller shaft.
Some attempts have been made to arrange blades close to the propeller to attempt to cut away rope and other debris. Some of these blades are arranged to project laterally of the bearing thus attempting to cut rope as it is wound in. Other blades are arranged to point into a gap between a forward boss of the propeller and the bearing. In some instances, the bearing has been filled with a free wheeling collar member that attempts to fill this gap. The collar member is allowed to freely rotate about the propeller shaft so as to not block the lubricating grooves of the bearing. Sometimes the collar member includes holes that allow water to run therethrough.
Currently used blades have had limited success. However, they quite often result in a mass of tightly compacted debris that is beyond the reach of the blade and that can still cause damage.